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Ed Sullivan

Ed Sullivan

Actor and writer · Died October 13, 1974, aged 73 · Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Edward Vincent Sullivan (September 28, 1901 – October 13, 1974) was an American television personality, impresario, sports and entertainment reporter, and syndicated columnist for the New York Daily News and the Chicago Tribune New York News Syndicate. He was the creator and host of the television variety program called The Ed Sullivan Show, which ran from 1948 to 1971, setting a record as the longest-running variety show in U.S. broadcast history.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
September 28, 1901
Died
October 13, 1974 (aged 73)
From
Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA
Works as
Actor and writer
Titles
4 on MovieCove · 19 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Down 21% in 30 days

What are Ed Sullivan's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Society and Self.

Genres

Biography2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 64th percentile
: browse their Biography movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 77th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Comedy movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 90th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Society
46%
Self
38%
Bonds
8%
Power
8%
Identity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFaith2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 4 · Serious 3 · Dark 0

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 5 · Stylized 2 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 1 · Charged 4 · Intense 2

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 5 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 1

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

A split, not a type: Straight-faced 4 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 2

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 4 · Even-paced 3 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 2 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 7 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Hopeful
3
Joyful
3
Warm
3
Contemplative
2
Tense
1
Other
4

How their films linger

Feel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy4
  • Bittersweet2
  • Ambiguous1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Ed Sullivan's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 3 of their 4 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (2).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ed Sullivan's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

19 credits, 4 with a MovieCove page; 48 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Ed Sullivan's Rock 'N' Roll Classics: Rockin' the Sixties (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Actor

  • Rock 'N' Roll Forever: Ed Sullivan's Greatest Hits (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Host

  • The Three Stooges Funniest Moments - Volume II (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    as Show Host (archive footage) (uncredited)

  • Mahalia Jackson: The Power and the Glory(1997)

    Actor

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • A Classic Christmas from The Ed Sullivan Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1992)

    as Host

  • The Very Best of The Ed Sullivan Show (Vol. 1) (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Actor

  • The Phynx(1970)

    as Ed Sullivan

    Midcredits score: 11th percentile of all films

  • The Phil Silvers Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Great Lady Has an Interview (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Executive Producer

  • General Electric Theater (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1953)

    Show 1 episode · as Ed Sullivan

  • The Jack Benny Program (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 2 episodes · as Ed Sullivan

  • The Ed Sullivan Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    Show 1,068 episodes · Executive Producer · as Self - Host

  • Ma, He's Making Eyes at Me! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Story

  • Alice in Movieland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1940)

    Story

  • Big Town Czar (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    Story · as Narrator / Newspaper Columnist

  • There Goes My Heart(1938)

    Story

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • Merrily We Live(1938)

    Additional Dialogue · Writer

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Ed Sullivan's Headliners (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1934)

    as Ed Sullivan

  • Mr. Broadway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1933)

    Screenplay · Story · as Ed Sullivan

Career shape

A full career of 19 titles from 1933 to 2005.

Highest rated

Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan (2025)

Midcredits 94th

Most popular right now

There Goes My Heart (1938)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting13 of 19: 11 only acting, 2 with another roleWriting5 of 19: 3 only writing, 2 with another roleProducing2 of 19: 2 only producing, 0 with another roleOther crew1 of 19: 1 only other crew, 0 with another role

By decade

1930s5 · 3 acting · 4 crew1940s3 · crew1950s4 · 3 acting · 1 crew1970s1 · acting1990s3 · acting2000s3 · acting

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it.

How do Ed Sullivan's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 76th percentile, the median of all 4; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 82nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

82ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

81stpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

45thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 4 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th1
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

2 of their 4 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Crowd Pleaser2
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · actor

Mahalia Jackson: The Power and the Glory (1997)

83rd percentile spread · 17% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · writer

Merrily We Live (1938)

Midcredits 87th · 79% liked

Reviewers score the acting 68/100 in their films, across 4 reviewed titles; fans 73, detractors 47. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Ed Sullivan work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ed Sullivan's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Norman Z. McLeod shares the most, 2.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers, cinematographers and editors

Producers